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Joystiq Top 10 of 2014: Valiant Hearts: The Great War
ATTENTION: The year 2014 has concluded its temporal self-destruct sequence. If you are among the escapees, please join us in salvaging and preserving the best games from the irradiated chrono-debris. War is a common theme throughout video games, usually granting you a trigger to pull and later reminding you of the true cost of battle. Ubisoft Montpellier's approach to one of history's deadliest conflicts in Valiant Hearts: The Great War eludes those narrative methods, instead spinning an endearing tale about a period of sustained malice and sorrow. Set during the events of World War 1, Valiant Hearts' four playable humans (and one canine) get swept in the waves of global catastrophe practically by circumstance. The side-scrolling adventure game begins with the German-born Karl stripped from his family in France, then injected into the side of conflict opposite that of his father-in-law, Emile. As the world around them collapses, they meet the Belgian medic, Anna, who is drawn in for the good of others, and the voluntarily enlisted American, Freddie, who has a personal mission at heart.
Deals with Gold: Defense Grid, Diablo, Valiant Hearts
A sizable collection of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games star in this week's Games with Gold lineup, including standouts like Defense Grid 2, Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition, and Peggle 2. The Xbox One versions of Strider, Valiant Hearts, Rayman Legends also see discounts of up to 75 percent off this week. Featured Xbox 360 releases include Resident Evil 4, Super Time Force, Slender: The Arrival, and the Gears of War trilogy. This week's sale additionally offers deep discounts of up to 85 percent off of Xbox 360 Games on Demand releases like Bully: Scholarship Edition, Crysis, Borderlands 2, Mirror's Edge, and SoulCalibur 5. Listed sale prices remain in effect through December 1. [Image: Hidden Path]
Valiant Hearts 'interactive comic' gratis with iOS version
Walt gets plenty of screen time in Valiant Hearts: The Great War, but no one's going to blame you for wanting to see more of the adorable, four-legged sidekick. Fortunately, Valiant Hearts' iOS breed of players have earned a related treat: according to the Ubiblog, an "interactive comic book" starring Walt and his sister will be offered for free on November 6 to anyone that purchases or already has Ubisoft's emotional war story on iOS devices. The comic book follows a canine contribution during the initial years of World War 1, with players helping the pair save lives and deliver messages via touch navigation. The blog post doesn't mention the comic's appearance beside the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 or PC versions of Valiant Hearts, so newcomers and veterans without tours in iOS territory are facing the same $4.99 price tag for now. Our review of Valiant Hearts praised the adventure as "a war game that recalls, in memories both cheerful and sad, that there is a person first, then a soldier, and then - if you're lucky – a hero." [Image: Ubisoft]
Goat Simulator, Valiant Hearts both headed to iOS
We've seen so many games make their way from iOS to home consoles and PC, it's about time our iPads and iPhones started to suck in titles from elsewhere, and that's just what they're doing. Both the hilariously offbeat Goat Simulator and the tear-jerking war story Valiant Hearts are headed to an iOS device near you. Valiant Hearts is a 2D puzzle game that tells a very gritty, emotional story of a soldier's journey during World War I. The game was launched on home consoles as well as PC for $15, but the game is reportedly being completely reworked to fit the control scheme of iOS. Goat Simulator originally gained attention as a joke from developer Coffee Stain Studios. The "game" was originally built to test the team's physics engine, but after a video of the hilarious concept went viral the company decided to build it into a full game. Both titles have been fan favorites this year, so it's no surprise their respective developers have seen iOS as a fantastic way to grow their audiences. Valiant Hearts is slated to hit the App Store on September 4, while Goat Simulator has yet to receive a launch date for its iOS release.
Valiant Hearts storms iOS in September
Ubisoft's Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a critically-adored tale of love, loss and the horrors of warfare, will reach the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch on September 4. Though the game drops players into the trench warfare of World War I with all the explosions and destruction that setting would suggest, Valiant Hearts is actually a relatively staid adventure game only punctuated by brief moments of action. Instead of gunning down German troops by the dozen, the game's characters tend to overcome their problems by using stealth, solving puzzles or sending a helpful canine companion to retrieve items from unsuspecting soldiers. Death is omnipresent on the battlefield, but unlike most games focusing on war, Valiant Hearts effectively highlights the more human side of the conflict. As our glowing, five-star review puts it, "Valiant Hearts is a war game that recalls, in memories both cheerful and sad, that there is a person first, then a soldier, and then - if you're lucky – a hero." According to Ubisoft, Valiant Hearts' control scheme has been completely redesigned for its appearance on iOS, "making Valiant Hearts more accessible than ever before." Ubisoft has yet to attach a price point to the iOS Valiant Hearts, though with both Steam and console versions of the adventure game asking $15, it seems unlikely that the mobile game would be any more expensive. [Image: Ubisoft]
Ubisoft reports first-quarter growth of 374%, bolstered by Watch Dogs
Ubisoft announced its financial results for the fiscal quarter ending on June 30, revealing that it has shipped more than 8 million copies of its hacking-themed sandbox action game Watch Dogs to date. Reporting €360 million (approximately $490 million) in sales for the first quarter of 2014-2015, Ubisoft notes a year-on-year improvement of 374 percent compared to the €76 million recorded for the same quarter last year. The publisher attributes its growth to the release of Watch Dogs and a strong showing in its digital segment with recent games like Valiant Hearts, Child of Light, and Trials Fusion. Ubisoft previously reported a 32 percent jump in year-on-year digital sales for the 2014 fiscal year. More details regarding Ubisoft's first-quarter financial performance will be available soon. [Image: Ubisoft]
Valiant Hearts: The Great War tells the story of five WWI survivors and a dog
Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a new game from Ubisoft Montpellier created with the UbiArt Framework engine, which powers Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends and the upcoming Child of Light. The hand-drawn story is set during World War I and follows five individuals attempting to survive the war, each of their fates tied together by one medical service dog. Valiant Hearts relies on a mixture of platforming and environmental puzzle solving, and uses a picture-in-picture comic book presentation style to propel the plot. There are also light stealth elements, as evidenced by a scene in which one of the characters tosses a rock to distract a guard. Presentation is exaggerated in Valiant Hearts: Burly German soldiers drink beer and bite on big pretzels, lending slight levity to what is typically a somber setting. Valiant Hearts: The Great War is in development for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC, and will be released on digital stores sometime in 2014.
